'Persian Gulf - Turkish jurisdiction along the Arabian coast (Part III)' [‎5v] (4/30)

4
or to the presence of Turkish officials at isolated
^ It seems to Lord Cranbrook that Her
Majesty's Government have a right to regard the
fact of particular ports being used as bases for
piratical attacks, and certain tribes being engaged
In those attacks, as prima facie evidence that such
ports and such tribes are not under the effective
control of the Ottoman Government, and that they
would be justified in issuing instructions to their
officers in accordance with this view.
" 16. Lord Cranbrook is further of opinion that,
laving regard to the repeated assurances given by
the Turkish Government in 1871-72, at the time
of the operations in Nejd, that no interference with
the littoral tribes was intended, and to the often
repeated declaration of the British Government
that it would object to any disturbance of the
status quo as regards those tribes. Her Majesty's
Government might, if it were deemed expedient,
legitimately decline to recognize any part of the
coast south of Koweit as subject to Turkey, even
if Ottoman authority were established there much
more firmly than is really the case.
" 17. Provided, however, that no obstacles be in
terposed to any operations which may be' necessary
to preserve the peace of the seas and to punish
marauders, and that no interference is attempted
either with Bahrein, or the Trucial Chiefs from
Odeid to Ras-el-Khymah, or with Muscat, Lord
Cranbrook does not consider that exception need be
taken to the proceedings of the Turks at any point
of the coast north of Odeid.
" 18. In expressing this opinion, his Lordship
does not forget that the Government of India would
restrain the Porte from extending its influence
beyond Ojair; but, subject to the conditions above
stated, Lord Cranbrook does not see any sufficient
reason for objecting to the establishment of such
relations between the Turkish authorities in El Hassa
and the tribes of the Guttur peninsula to the north
of Odeid as may be agreeable to the parties con
cerned.
"19. It will have been gathered from the fore
going remarks that, in Lord Cranbrook's opinion,
it is essential to the restoration and maintenance of
order in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. that no merely nominal
extension of Turkish authority should be permitted
to hamper the action of the officers of the British
Government, and that His Lordship would desire a
return, as far as possible, to the system followed
until within the last few years, under which the
Hesident at Bushire, and the British Naval autho
rities acting under his orders, dealt directly with
the Arab tribes along the entire littoral, captured
piratical craft wherever they might be found, and
exacted from the local Sheikhs redress for outrages
committed by their people.
"20. Under instructions which were issued by
the Admiralty in the month of May last,* the Com- • Memo., Part IL, p. 48.